discussion: system clean up - what steps do you take?

[tiff2342]

what steps do you take to clean up a system and why? and what settings you do change or edit?

1) ccleaner
2) disk clean up
3) mydefrag (weekly and monthly cron jobs)
4) (maybe) disable disk indexing
5) uninstall apps not needed
6) cleanup start up files (how do you know what do disable?)
7) disable services (how do you know what do disable?)
8) spybot search and destory

 

[c627627]

As soon as a new OS comes out, I install it on a relatively small partition then reimage that partition at least once a month, noting any changes so that if when something goes wrong, I can easily figure out what caused it.

So, organized initial OS install, then reimage for the next 5-10 years.

Nuke and reimage is quicker for me then diagnosing even the smallest of problems. I simply boot into another OS on my multi boot and nuke the problem OS. It takes only a few short minutes.

Ccleaner is good for cookie cleanup with its /AUTO shortcut. I use a program I used since Windows 9X for startup control and its counterpart to intercept anything trying to inject itself into startup. I will link to it when I get home with a follow-up to this post.

 

[c627627]

So here's StartupMonitor 1.02 http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml which I have been using since Windows 95/98 and still use on my Windows 7 32-Bit.

When 64-Bit OS came out, it would not work because it is a 16-Bit app and it is probably one of the main reasons I never switched to 64-Bit and am hoping to do so with Windows 8 which apparently offers an option to somehow use 16-bit apps on a 64-Bit OS, which I am looking forward to testing.

But does anyone know if any other 64-Bit OS compatible program which can intercept anything attempting to insert itself into startup?


For me this was always a no-brainer: every Tom, **** & Harry would write a program which willy-nilly inserts itself into startup, phoning home, doing what it wants to do without permission... um... no! I don't want anything inserting itself into startup unnecessarily, I don't care if it is just to "check for updates" and nothing else.. Startup Monitor pops up each and every time something tries to insert itself and you can either allow it or not. Some things you need to allow, but most of them there is zero need for. They should not be running unless I manually start them.

I like its counterpart to enable disable startup items:
Startup Control Panel 2.8
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

It is also 16-Bit, so it is not compatible with 64-Bit OS, unless maybe this works: Windows 8: Control Panel > (on top right) Small Icons > 16-bit Application Support > Enable
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=711917

 

[c627627]

And post #3: separately: yes, I absolutely disabled indexing and hybernation and System Restore (for which there is no need with organized imaging/reimaging.) I reimage Windows partition and get it into a 'fresh out of the box' state in less time than it takes to take a short bathroom break.

So my Windows is always "new," I sometimes reimage several times a month, any time there is a slightest hickup - I nuke the OS - problem solved!

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=714656
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=616200

 

[tiff2342]

Nuke and reimage how does that work? Does it just overwrite system files but leaves the user files intact?

 

[c627627]

You set up everything just like you like it to be on say, C: Drive. You make an image of C: Drive. When something goes wrong, you reimage C: Drive.

That gives you a 1-2 punch:
1. Everything on C: Drive is destroyed.
2. Everything on C: Drive is restored to the time you made the image.

[That means don't store or save any personal files on C: Drive. Maybe move your Desktop etc. away from C: Drive.]


To make the image process quicker, you partition the hard drive and install the OS on a relatively small partition. You install any large Apps/Games on another partition. For example, instead of C:\Program Files, custom install them to E:\Program Files.


I have an SSD with C drive being Win7 and D: Drive being WinXP. I simply boot from one to another to image/reimage and vice versa. On E: Drive I have folders E:\Program Files and E:\Program Files XP where I keep large Apps installed (they do not need to be imaged frequently anyway.)

I posted this a long time ago:

I've been reading experienced members' posts here about how Windows Update messed up their system and they had to reinstall Windows from scratch. Having used drive imaging for years, it's nothing short of amazing to realize that only a hand full of people think this is a good idea.

Thinking how many *days* of time it saved me in the past two years alone, I would pay as much as the entire value of my computer system for it if I had to.


[...]
When (it will be when, not if) Windows breaks down or starts giving you errors, you replace your C drive with backed up version of it, and things are just as they used to be when you backed them up first. I also keep a txt file where I write changes and tweaks I made to the original installation, that way, when I reinstall from backup, I make those changes, than save images on another hard drive partition again and so on every few months.

Originally, it took me days to reinstall Windows and get things back the way I like them. It now takes minutes... just make sure you change location of Favorites, Desktop and Start Menu, (CUT and PASTE from C:\Windows will do) since they require more frequent backup, so if you have them on another drive, restoring C drive would not replace them. (+ Remember not to keep any documents on C drive.)

Every setting in every application is just the way you first set it. (Every menu size, every font size, every icon.) Registry backup is no substitute for organized quick C Drive backup/restore.

I defragment my drives and use ScanDisk but nothing makes my PC go faster then when I restore from a backup made just after I first setup things the way I prefer...

 

[AChrist]

uhm, doesn't system restore points work the same? except they keep personal files?

 

[jaymz9350]

uhm, doesn't system restore points work the same? except they keep personal files?

Only if the install isn't hosed to the point you can't run the restore or a virus/malware hasn't erased them (seen that a couple times, my in laws laptop even had it's restore image wiped out as well.)

 

[habbajabba]

For simple system cleanup I use various progs in order. The first two are within Windows 7 Manager, a software. It has an excellent Task Scheduler Manager among other things.

1-Junk File Cleaner (cleans c: )
2-Registry Cleaner
3-Xleaner portable (ap & trash cleaner)
http://www.morethanacleaner.de/down...p-portable/2-xleaner-portable-english-version
4-Ultradefrag portable ( I only use full optimize for c and my slaves get defrag only)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ultradefrag/files/stable-release/5.0.7/
5-Back it all up with Terabyte Image
BleachBit portable is also a good cleaner which I sometimes use but xleaner does much the same thing. I use it mostly in linux.
http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net/download/windows

I also use Win7Mgr's Startup Manager and a program I just found which is awesome called Geek Uninstaller-highly recommended and works quite like win7mgr's uninstaller.
http://www.geekuninstaller.com/
And for services I use Null-Logics Windows Service Commander
http://www.null-logics.com/
For advice on services you can safely disable you can try http://www.blackviper.com/
Many are obvious and can be disabled if you know you aren't using them.
System restore, indexing and windows backup aren't worth the time of day. I also occasionally go into the registry by hand and delete software keys I know aren't installed. 99% of the time I am in linux but windows does things that linux doesn't so I'm forced to keep it for now.

 

[Arbiter Odie]

c627627, what software are you using for the imaging? I'm having trouble finding a method of re-imaging that doesn't involve bootable disks.

 

[c627627]

I have a dual Win7/XP boot and so I boot into WinXP to image Win7 and vice versa. I use this program:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-windows.htm

It can also be run from a USB:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-dos.htm


There is also Acronis which can be run from a bootable CD and Norton Ghost which can be run from a bootable CD or a bootable USB like this:

Use Windows 7/Vista DOS prompt. [Windows XP DOS prompt cannot be used for this]:
• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk #
[of USB Flash drive]
• clean
• create partition primary
• select partition 1
• active
• format fs=NTFS quick
• assign
• exit

Then you just simply copy the contents of the Norton Ghost Symantec Recovery Disk (bootable CD) onto the USB drive. You have to have a Bootable CD files for this, not the Windows installation program.

 

[ebug122]

Doesn't the nuking of the OS partition break some of the installs on drive E:?

 

[c627627]

You are correct.

However the approach is like this: If you a have large application which takes up a lot of space then you install it onto E:\Program Files then make an image of C: Drive which now "knows" its location.

Reimaging C: drive from then on would be quicker because you don't have to reimage an extra GB because your large app is permanently on E: drive.


When it comes time to update the large app to Service Pack 1, then you

1. Reimage C: Drive.
2. Install Service Pack 1 on your large app [still on E: Drive]
3. Make a new image of C: Drive.

Then you continue saving time by not imaging/reimaging the large App.

You only need to make a one time copy of E:\Program Files if you want, because it contains large apps which are rarely updated. Worse come to worse, it is much easier to reinstall a single large app then to reinstall the entire OS with countless personal preferences set up.

That's why I move Desktop, Start Menu, Favorites away from C: Drive but keep AppData folder on C: Drive because it may contain personal preferences to apps, even if they are installed on E: drive. So reimaging C: Drive restores the preferences. Only large files which do not change are on E:\Drive. They don't need to be reimaged frequently.

 

[terran2k]

only thing i do anymore is remove stuff from startup, everything else doesn't seem to do much of anything.

 

[Jayden]

For System CleanUp and making PC faster consider below suggestions:
1. Disk Defragmentation
2. Registry Defrag
3. Registry Scan and Cleanup
4. Disk Cleanup
5. Registry Optimizer
6. Optimize PC

 

[c627627]

Welcome to the forums.

A lot of us have experienced that registry "cleanup" utilities, registry "optimizing" utilities and registry "defragmentation" utilities can do more harm than good.

Quote for the win would be:

Personally I don't trust any third-party registry cleaning programs, especially from unknown sources, for determining that my registry has errors that need to be repaired or deleted. If you were to do a registry scan w/ ten different so-called registry cleaning / repair programs, you'd get ten different scan results. So being that the results would be different based on the program, which one would you trust to clean your registry?

A guy posted here some time ago that used the built-in registry cleaner in CCleaner, after which on reboot Windows refused to load either to normal mode or safe mode. He hadn't made a backup beforehand, and had important data on the drive that he couldn't afford to lose.

 

[noname2020x]

My normal steps:

1. Uninstall Crap
2. CClean Crap (also use to fix errors and disable nonsense startup programs)
3. Run Antivirus and AntiMalware
4. Defrag (3rd party)
5. See if faster... if not, nuke, reinstall

works 90% of the time, all the time